Jonah 1-2
This is the story of Jonah.
But isn’t it also the story of many Christians today?
Perhaps it is YOUR story, because it is a story about running from the Lord.
Verse 2 tells us that the Lord told Jonah to go to Ninevah and proclaim that the Lord was about to destroy that city because of its evil.
Verse 3 tells us that Jonah “ran away from the Lord.” He didn’t want to go to Nineveh! So, he headed for Tarshish.
Tarshish was somewhere in the western Mediterranean. And its exact geographic location is not known. But where ever it was geographically, for Jonah it meant being as far from God as possible. Tarshish is not so much a geographic location for us this morning as it is a spiritual condition. Being in or heading for Tarshish describes the Christians who says “NO” to God’s will for their life.
There are some important lessons to be learned from this book of Jonah and let’s focus on just a few of them this morning.
The Journey away from God will always leads to a life of distress. Verse 4 describes a violent storm that threatened to sink the ship. It is also a description of the Christian who tries to run from God. The storms of life become so violent that our lives are threatened with destruction. At any moment we could be torn apart by the violence of the world.
In verse 7, the sailors describe what has happened to them as a “calamity.” “Calamity” means “distress” or “misery.” No person is more miserable than the Child of God who has decided not to do God’s will for their life.
Have you ever tried to run from God’s will? Then you know the misery that can be experienced. Are you running from God’s will right now? Then you are headed for misery. Because the Journey away from God will ALWAYS lead to a life of distress. The Further you get from God, the Worse your life will become.
Verse 11 - the further he got. “The sea was getting rougher and rougher.”
Verse 13 - the harder they tried. “…the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.”
1 Samuel records the life of Saul, king of Israel. He started out as king and ended up killing himself. Because Saul got further and further from God, his life got worse and worse. And that’s the way it is in the Christian life.
The further you get from God, the worse your life will become. The Predicaments that we get into as we run from the Lord are our fault.
Many times we blame God for our circumstances when in reality it is our own disobedience and rebellion that led us into the middle of the storm.
Don’t blame God because the predicaments that we get ourselves into running from the Lord are our own fault.
No matter how far you get from God there is always a way back . . . . . BUT the way back may not be a beautiful, emotional experience.
When we think of a person who returns to the Lord we generally think of the “Prodigal Son” who is given a beautiful banquet upon his return that is filled with tears and gladness.
When a Christian brother walks the aisle and rededicates his life to the Lord, there are tears of happiness and nothing is more beautiful to our eyes.
But according to the book of Jonah, the way back is not always a beautiful, emotional experience.
Jonah set out for Tarshish on a ship. But did he return to the Lord’s service on a ship? No! Rather, he spent three days and nights in the digestive system of a big fish! Then he was vomited up on the seashore.
Now it’s hard to think of a more disgusting picture. We don’t know exactly where he “landed” but at least he now knew where he needed to be.
There is hope in knowing that no matter how far we get from the Lord, there is always a way back. But we must never fool ourselves into believing that the trip back is going to be a beautiful, emotional experience (like the prodigal son).
If you decide that you do want to get out of the storm and back into the center of God’s will, you must go where you didn’t want to go before. The job still needed to be done. Ninevah still needed to be preached to. And Jonah was just the man for the job. Fish vomit and all! (2:10-3:3).
Just because Jonah had gone through the storm; Just because Jonah had spent 3 days and nights in the fish; Just because Jonah was laying in a pool of fish vomit; DIDN’T MEAN he was going to get out of doing what God had originally wanted him to do.
This means God’s will is not always what we like or don’t like. Yet that’s how the average Christian determines God’s will. If they like it, it must be his will (Hog Wash!). God’s will has nothing to do with what we like or don’t like.
The point is that if you decide that you do want to get out of the storm and back into the center of God’s will, you must go where you didn’t want to go before.
Conclusion: There are many of us on the run today. And as a result our lives are miserable. The further we get from God, the worse the misery becomes. And we wonder who to blame.
Jonah teaches us through his experience that it is our fault. And instead of trying to maintain our current course, we can leave all our troubles behind by turning back to the Father. And when we do, we will, as his children walk into his loving arms.
Are you in a storm this morning because you have been running? Then the Lord is calling you back to a place of blessing, a place of service to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
We need to get on with getting to the place he wants us to be.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
PLU or What About the Gentiles?
Talk of change is in the air in many churches today. The issues can be small or large, common to all churches or unique to one congregation. Despite this variety, however, change is seldom viewed as easy in churches. It takes careful, patient effort, because people can have strong feelings about what is at stake. So it has always been. Today let’s look at the church, down through the ages, when it has sought to be sincere, faithful and honest, has frequently come back to times of reflection on who we are and who we ought to be. To help you appreciate this, let’s consider this morning the most sensitive issue to face the early church: what to do about the Gentile converts to Christianity.
We don’t always appreciate that the Church, when it first came into being, was composed exclusively of Jews. The Messiah was to be their King. His coming was foretold by their prophets. They simply assumed that Christ was an extension of their traditional Jewish faith. As a result, it wouldn’t occur to them to wonder about the Jewish law or their traditional days of celebration. These first Jewish Christians worshipped in the Temple and they still attended the synagogue. But then, as the Church, they met in homes for worship the first day of the week. In many ways, Christ and Christianity was simply added onto the faith of their fathers.
But then changes started to happen. God gave Peter a vision to tell him that the Jewish food laws no longer held for Christians. Then, right after that, he witnessed the first conversions of Gentiles to the Christian faith. Seeing the power of God now extended to Gentiles, he accepted this as God’s will, baptized the converts, and stayed and ate with them for several days (Acts 10). The Jewish purity laws forbade this kind of consorting with Gentiles, but Peter sensed that God was bringing about something new and unexpected. When Peter returned to Jerusalem, the Jewish Christians there were horrified that Peter would actually stay and eat with Gentiles. But after hearing Peter’s story, the Jewish Christians sat silently stunned in amazement, "Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life!" (Acts 11.19 HCSB). News flash - Jesus was not just for the Jews after all!
This change was something the Jewish Christians accepted in principle, but in time the implications began to surface. The growing numbers of Gentile Christians began to add issue after issue after issue. Jews generally saw the Gentiles as an immoral lot: both in simple human terms, but also in the fact that the Jews followed a rigorous ethical code laid out in the Torah (the first 5 books of what we know as the OT. These were the “books” of Moses.). Gentiles weren’t concerned with food laws, like the Jews were, or Sabbath (our Saturday) worship, like the Jews were. The history of the Jews, which shaped Jewish worship and life, was irrelevant to the Gentiles. It was all very well for Paul and Barnabas to forge ahead with evangelizing the Gentiles, but it was beginning to look like two different Gospels were coming into being: a Gospel of freedom in Christ preached by Paul, and what was essentially a Jewish Gospel. Oh, no, two different denominations!
This growing unsettledness in the church came to a head when some Jewish Christians arrived one day in Antioch (a Roman city), and taught the Gentile Christians there that salvation in Christ required circumcision. From Abraham on down, for 1,800 years, circumcision was the sign that you were a member of God’s people. "Of course we would still practice this" Jewish Christians assumed. Some who were leaders in the church in Jerusalem had previously been Pharisees – scriptural and legal experts in the Jewish faith.
What was happening at that time, in their struggle to define "what the church should be", has been common in congregations ever since. People divided into different camps. People entrenched in their positions, trying to win, rather than work together to seek out God’s will and achieve what was best for all. Powerful, intimidating coalitions were formed, significant enough to intimidate even the likes of Peter. (We will discuss this more in the NOTE below.) Leaders swung back and forth in which side they were on, adding to the confusion. Something had to be done.
So the church in Antioch commissioned Paul and Barnabus to go to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and church leaders there, in the hope of resolving the situation.
The believers who had been Pharisees stood up and stated firmly that “The Gentile converts must ......... be required to follow the law of Moses.”. (Acts 15.5 NLT) But at this time Peter, Paul, and Barnabus stood firm on not making the Gentiles follow Jewish laws and James went out on a limb and said. “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God." (Acts 15:19) What a unique concept – to not make it difficult for folks turning to God.
In the end they agreed that circumcision and other Jewish practices would not be binding on Gentile Christians. Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, would be encouraged to share together in one common fellowship and faith. But the church leaders asked the Gentiles for one concession: please respect three of the Jewish food restrictions. If the Gentiles accommodated the Jews in this way, fellowship together would be made so much easier. Don’t quite understand this part but maybe both sides had to give a little to solve the issue.
Note: Later on it gets more confusing when Peter and Barnabus – who first felt free to socialize with Gentiles – began to back off from that sense of freedom. Paul writes in Galatians the following: But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. (Galatians 2.11-14).
It is quite a story. While circumcision is not much of a topic for debate anymore at a meeting of the Session, the debates of our current age can take on the same form and experience the same tensions. Just as one example, it is common for churches to say in principle, "we need to support our youth, for they are the future of the church". But then the congregation goes on to expect teens and young adults to conform to worship styles and church organizations which are many decades old – practices which hold little meaning for the emerging generation in this day and age. The churches say that there is a need to reach out to the people that are the most unchurched in the United States – 25 to 35 year olds. BUT, we would like for them to be “like us”! How much that sounds like what the Jewish Christians were doing with the Gentile ones. No point in spending the rest of today discussing music and song selection and how much controversy this causes in today’s churches! :)
While the topics may have changed, the debates remain the same. But what we can take away from this passage is the approach the church leaders used in resolving this issue. Their starting point was a question: "What is God’s will for the Church? What are we called to be?" This is a vastly different starting point than, "What do I want?" In the meeting they considered the experiences of people: they thought again about God’s vision to Peter, they listened to Paul talk about how the Holy Spirit was moving and bringing great numbers of Gentiles to Christ. They considered the word of Scripture – James read from Amos and Jeremiah. And, finally, they demonstrated respect for everyone – for the needs of the Jews as well as the Gentiles.
If it worked then maybe this approach is a good blueprint for us to keep in mind in the midst of the talk of change which is so common in today’s churches. Rather than get too tightly caught up in "what I want" or too trapped within the walls of the church building in our discussions, we need to remember the bigger picture as a context for our specific issues. What does God call the church to be? How do we live as this kind of church in a society that is so different today than it was even 40 years ago? What do we hope our congregation will be 20 years from now? What do we have to begin to do today to make that dream a reality? And, as we talk about these things, how do we as individuals demonstrate our respect for different people with different thoughts and ideas? How do we meet different needs while still setting one single direction for our church?
If we focus on our calling, if we bear each others burdens, if we remember that we are the people who will make tomorrow’s church (either by action or default), and then, in this context…. If we are diligent to resolve our issues, the church will become more settled, more confident, more determined, and we will know that we are becoming more and more the Body of Christ. And that, at the end of the day, is what God wants.
Oh yeah! Do you now know what the title of lesson, PLU, means? Look down the page a little further:
People Like Us! We tend to want people to be like us!
We don’t always appreciate that the Church, when it first came into being, was composed exclusively of Jews. The Messiah was to be their King. His coming was foretold by their prophets. They simply assumed that Christ was an extension of their traditional Jewish faith. As a result, it wouldn’t occur to them to wonder about the Jewish law or their traditional days of celebration. These first Jewish Christians worshipped in the Temple and they still attended the synagogue. But then, as the Church, they met in homes for worship the first day of the week. In many ways, Christ and Christianity was simply added onto the faith of their fathers.
But then changes started to happen. God gave Peter a vision to tell him that the Jewish food laws no longer held for Christians. Then, right after that, he witnessed the first conversions of Gentiles to the Christian faith. Seeing the power of God now extended to Gentiles, he accepted this as God’s will, baptized the converts, and stayed and ate with them for several days (Acts 10). The Jewish purity laws forbade this kind of consorting with Gentiles, but Peter sensed that God was bringing about something new and unexpected. When Peter returned to Jerusalem, the Jewish Christians there were horrified that Peter would actually stay and eat with Gentiles. But after hearing Peter’s story, the Jewish Christians sat silently stunned in amazement, "Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life!" (Acts 11.19 HCSB). News flash - Jesus was not just for the Jews after all!
This change was something the Jewish Christians accepted in principle, but in time the implications began to surface. The growing numbers of Gentile Christians began to add issue after issue after issue. Jews generally saw the Gentiles as an immoral lot: both in simple human terms, but also in the fact that the Jews followed a rigorous ethical code laid out in the Torah (the first 5 books of what we know as the OT. These were the “books” of Moses.). Gentiles weren’t concerned with food laws, like the Jews were, or Sabbath (our Saturday) worship, like the Jews were. The history of the Jews, which shaped Jewish worship and life, was irrelevant to the Gentiles. It was all very well for Paul and Barnabas to forge ahead with evangelizing the Gentiles, but it was beginning to look like two different Gospels were coming into being: a Gospel of freedom in Christ preached by Paul, and what was essentially a Jewish Gospel. Oh, no, two different denominations!
This growing unsettledness in the church came to a head when some Jewish Christians arrived one day in Antioch (a Roman city), and taught the Gentile Christians there that salvation in Christ required circumcision. From Abraham on down, for 1,800 years, circumcision was the sign that you were a member of God’s people. "Of course we would still practice this" Jewish Christians assumed. Some who were leaders in the church in Jerusalem had previously been Pharisees – scriptural and legal experts in the Jewish faith.
What was happening at that time, in their struggle to define "what the church should be", has been common in congregations ever since. People divided into different camps. People entrenched in their positions, trying to win, rather than work together to seek out God’s will and achieve what was best for all. Powerful, intimidating coalitions were formed, significant enough to intimidate even the likes of Peter. (We will discuss this more in the NOTE below.) Leaders swung back and forth in which side they were on, adding to the confusion. Something had to be done.
So the church in Antioch commissioned Paul and Barnabus to go to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and church leaders there, in the hope of resolving the situation.
The believers who had been Pharisees stood up and stated firmly that “The Gentile converts must ......... be required to follow the law of Moses.”. (Acts 15.5 NLT) But at this time Peter, Paul, and Barnabus stood firm on not making the Gentiles follow Jewish laws and James went out on a limb and said. “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God." (Acts 15:19) What a unique concept – to not make it difficult for folks turning to God.
In the end they agreed that circumcision and other Jewish practices would not be binding on Gentile Christians. Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, would be encouraged to share together in one common fellowship and faith. But the church leaders asked the Gentiles for one concession: please respect three of the Jewish food restrictions. If the Gentiles accommodated the Jews in this way, fellowship together would be made so much easier. Don’t quite understand this part but maybe both sides had to give a little to solve the issue.
Note: Later on it gets more confusing when Peter and Barnabus – who first felt free to socialize with Gentiles – began to back off from that sense of freedom. Paul writes in Galatians the following: But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. (Galatians 2.11-14).
It is quite a story. While circumcision is not much of a topic for debate anymore at a meeting of the Session, the debates of our current age can take on the same form and experience the same tensions. Just as one example, it is common for churches to say in principle, "we need to support our youth, for they are the future of the church". But then the congregation goes on to expect teens and young adults to conform to worship styles and church organizations which are many decades old – practices which hold little meaning for the emerging generation in this day and age. The churches say that there is a need to reach out to the people that are the most unchurched in the United States – 25 to 35 year olds. BUT, we would like for them to be “like us”! How much that sounds like what the Jewish Christians were doing with the Gentile ones. No point in spending the rest of today discussing music and song selection and how much controversy this causes in today’s churches! :)
While the topics may have changed, the debates remain the same. But what we can take away from this passage is the approach the church leaders used in resolving this issue. Their starting point was a question: "What is God’s will for the Church? What are we called to be?" This is a vastly different starting point than, "What do I want?" In the meeting they considered the experiences of people: they thought again about God’s vision to Peter, they listened to Paul talk about how the Holy Spirit was moving and bringing great numbers of Gentiles to Christ. They considered the word of Scripture – James read from Amos and Jeremiah. And, finally, they demonstrated respect for everyone – for the needs of the Jews as well as the Gentiles.
If it worked then maybe this approach is a good blueprint for us to keep in mind in the midst of the talk of change which is so common in today’s churches. Rather than get too tightly caught up in "what I want" or too trapped within the walls of the church building in our discussions, we need to remember the bigger picture as a context for our specific issues. What does God call the church to be? How do we live as this kind of church in a society that is so different today than it was even 40 years ago? What do we hope our congregation will be 20 years from now? What do we have to begin to do today to make that dream a reality? And, as we talk about these things, how do we as individuals demonstrate our respect for different people with different thoughts and ideas? How do we meet different needs while still setting one single direction for our church?
If we focus on our calling, if we bear each others burdens, if we remember that we are the people who will make tomorrow’s church (either by action or default), and then, in this context…. If we are diligent to resolve our issues, the church will become more settled, more confident, more determined, and we will know that we are becoming more and more the Body of Christ. And that, at the end of the day, is what God wants.
Oh yeah! Do you now know what the title of lesson, PLU, means? Look down the page a little further:
People Like Us! We tend to want people to be like us!
A Divine Intervention
Sometimes love has to be tough. It has to tell the truth, even when that truth is jarring, even when that truth is uncomfortable, even when that truth hurts. Because sometimes, to not be tough or even harsh with someone is to be unloving as we let them continue down the path of self-destruction.
It is such tough love that Jesus showed to a congregation in ancient Greece. To the congregation of believers in Laodicea he dictated a harsh letter through the Apostle John. But he rebuked his people out of love, to jar them out of their apathy and to help them overcome the temptations and struggles of their sinful nature that they might win the final victory in him.
And we do well to listen to this and apply these truths to ourselves and rejoice even in the tough love that Jesus gives us. For it is love for us that prompts him to make a divine intervention.
Let’s look at some seemingly harsh words to this body of Believers:
14 “Write this letter to the angel (leader) of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:
15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:14-22 NLT
What's worse ignorance or apathy? (Webster defines apathy as lack of interest or concern, or lack of emotion or feeling.) Most of us have heard the ironic answer, "I don't know and I don't care." But Jesus gives a different answer to that question: Ignorance is better than apathy by far! Being cold to the gospel, ignorant, or even hostile to it is better than those who know the truth but are apathetic to it.
Laodicea was a wealthy well-known for three things: 1) for their finances, 2) for their fashion, and 3) for their pharmaceuticals. There was no doubt about it: the Laodiceans had been very blessed by God. Maybe too blessed. The health and wealth that God had given to them led to their complacency. They had all they needed: Enough money to live comfortably, fine clothes, good food, and good health. Life was good...or so they thought. But their wealth led them to be stingy toward God. They were growing more and more apathetic toward him and toward spiritual matters. And they were in danger of losing their faith (if they hadn't already).
But God loved them too much to let that happen. So he would intervene. With a divine intervention, Jesus rebuked them. Through John and through their pastor he showed them some tough love: " But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!.... you are wretched and miserable..." and those so proud of their wealth, their medical skills that could restore sight, and their fine and fashionable clothes, Jesus called, "poor, blind and naked."
Though they thought they were doing just fine -- great, really -- the Laodiceans were anything but. They were wretched in their apathy. Pitiful in their sin! They were impoverished, dirt poor, with no righteousness before God at all. Even though they thought they were doing pretty good, they made Jesus sick -- so sick he was ready to spit them out, literally, to vomit them up.
Wow! Harsh, huh? But why did he do it? He tells them: "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent." (Revelation 3:19 NIV) The most un-loving thing Jesus could do to them would have been to ignore the situation, leave things alone, and let them continue on their path. But in love, he couldn't do that. He had to intervene. He had to rebuke them and discipline them to lead them to repent and turn to him.
And we know that God loves us enough to the same for us. He will not leave us to our own destruction, but must intervene to rebuke and discipline us.
Notice that Jesus addressed the angel or pastor not the congregation. And while I am certainly not the pastor, I am the leader of this class. So I have to ask, have we lost our zeal for the gospel? Are we still hot? Enthusiastic about serving our Savior? Or have the blessings that he's given to us, the great wealth with which we've all been blessed (as even the poorest among us have so much more than most in this world), has that wealth distracted us from what's most important? Have the comforts and conveniences and pleasures of this life led us to treat our Bibles with apathy and neglect?
Have we lost our zeal to reach the lost? Have we lost the zeal to help others? Have we lost our desire to grow in our faith? Have we become complacent and apathetic in our Christian living thinking, 'I'm just fine. I've come a long way in my faith. I need not grow anymore. Now it's time for a break. Now it's me time.'? Have we lost our desire to grow, to serve, to love Jesus by loving others?"
If we have then we need to watch out! We don't need to let our lukewarm attitudes sicken Jesus to the point that he will spit us out of his mouth! Harsh? Maybe. But that's Jesus’ tough love. He still rebukes and disciplines those he loves. We have an ear! So hear what the Spirit says to us! Be earnest! Repent! Hear his voice! Listen to it and open the door!
And when we do, he will not abandon us. He will come in and will help us to overcome! Jesus will do an intervention.
Even though Jesus didn't offer a single word of praise for this sad congregation, the letter he had John write to them was not without comfort. It wasn't all quite as tough, but was full of gospel promise! In spite of their apathy, Jesus didn't spit them out, but continued to hold out his gracious offer...
So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.... If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
Ironically, the Laodiceans, well-known for their finances, their fashion, and their pharmaceuticals, were poor before God, naked without his righteousness to cover them, and blind to their spiritual condition. But Jesus didn't just intervene to point out their condition. He also intervened to save them.
He also intervened on Calvary before God to become the solution that they and all us need.
He is the perfect substitute who took the place of every sinner in hell. He intervened by taking our apathy toward his Word on himself. He took our lackluster attitudes toward his sacrifice on himself on that cross. And so now, he is offering the Laodiceans true wealth: the gold of the gospel. He offered them the robes of his righteousness that would never go out of fashion. He offered them a salve that would give them spiritual sight and save their souls. And Jesus offers the same to us still!
Now he pleads with us, "Turn to me! Trust in the forgiveness I won for you! Listen to my Word! Listen to what the Spirit says of your sin and of my grace that he might heal your blindness with the salve of the Word, that you might see the truth clearly again! Don't lock me out! Let me in that we might dine together and share the close intimacy we once had! Let me restore your zeal for my Word and your zeal in serving me and others! Let my gospel fire you up again so you're not lukewarm any more, but hot!"
And finally, even to this lukewarm church that was close to being spit out, Jesus offered the promise of heaven with him: Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
After he overcame all sin by his sacrifice, Jesus was rewarded with his heavenly throne. And now, he rewards those who claim his victory through him. That victory is ours!
It is such tough love that Jesus showed to a congregation in ancient Greece. To the congregation of believers in Laodicea he dictated a harsh letter through the Apostle John. But he rebuked his people out of love, to jar them out of their apathy and to help them overcome the temptations and struggles of their sinful nature that they might win the final victory in him.
And we do well to listen to this and apply these truths to ourselves and rejoice even in the tough love that Jesus gives us. For it is love for us that prompts him to make a divine intervention.
Let’s look at some seemingly harsh words to this body of Believers:
14 “Write this letter to the angel (leader) of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:
15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:14-22 NLT
What's worse ignorance or apathy? (Webster defines apathy as lack of interest or concern, or lack of emotion or feeling.) Most of us have heard the ironic answer, "I don't know and I don't care." But Jesus gives a different answer to that question: Ignorance is better than apathy by far! Being cold to the gospel, ignorant, or even hostile to it is better than those who know the truth but are apathetic to it.
Laodicea was a wealthy well-known for three things: 1) for their finances, 2) for their fashion, and 3) for their pharmaceuticals. There was no doubt about it: the Laodiceans had been very blessed by God. Maybe too blessed. The health and wealth that God had given to them led to their complacency. They had all they needed: Enough money to live comfortably, fine clothes, good food, and good health. Life was good...or so they thought. But their wealth led them to be stingy toward God. They were growing more and more apathetic toward him and toward spiritual matters. And they were in danger of losing their faith (if they hadn't already).
But God loved them too much to let that happen. So he would intervene. With a divine intervention, Jesus rebuked them. Through John and through their pastor he showed them some tough love: " But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!.... you are wretched and miserable..." and those so proud of their wealth, their medical skills that could restore sight, and their fine and fashionable clothes, Jesus called, "poor, blind and naked."
Though they thought they were doing just fine -- great, really -- the Laodiceans were anything but. They were wretched in their apathy. Pitiful in their sin! They were impoverished, dirt poor, with no righteousness before God at all. Even though they thought they were doing pretty good, they made Jesus sick -- so sick he was ready to spit them out, literally, to vomit them up.
Wow! Harsh, huh? But why did he do it? He tells them: "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent." (Revelation 3:19 NIV) The most un-loving thing Jesus could do to them would have been to ignore the situation, leave things alone, and let them continue on their path. But in love, he couldn't do that. He had to intervene. He had to rebuke them and discipline them to lead them to repent and turn to him.
And we know that God loves us enough to the same for us. He will not leave us to our own destruction, but must intervene to rebuke and discipline us.
Notice that Jesus addressed the angel or pastor not the congregation. And while I am certainly not the pastor, I am the leader of this class. So I have to ask, have we lost our zeal for the gospel? Are we still hot? Enthusiastic about serving our Savior? Or have the blessings that he's given to us, the great wealth with which we've all been blessed (as even the poorest among us have so much more than most in this world), has that wealth distracted us from what's most important? Have the comforts and conveniences and pleasures of this life led us to treat our Bibles with apathy and neglect?
Have we lost our zeal to reach the lost? Have we lost the zeal to help others? Have we lost our desire to grow in our faith? Have we become complacent and apathetic in our Christian living thinking, 'I'm just fine. I've come a long way in my faith. I need not grow anymore. Now it's time for a break. Now it's me time.'? Have we lost our desire to grow, to serve, to love Jesus by loving others?"
If we have then we need to watch out! We don't need to let our lukewarm attitudes sicken Jesus to the point that he will spit us out of his mouth! Harsh? Maybe. But that's Jesus’ tough love. He still rebukes and disciplines those he loves. We have an ear! So hear what the Spirit says to us! Be earnest! Repent! Hear his voice! Listen to it and open the door!
And when we do, he will not abandon us. He will come in and will help us to overcome! Jesus will do an intervention.
Even though Jesus didn't offer a single word of praise for this sad congregation, the letter he had John write to them was not without comfort. It wasn't all quite as tough, but was full of gospel promise! In spite of their apathy, Jesus didn't spit them out, but continued to hold out his gracious offer...
So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.... If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
Ironically, the Laodiceans, well-known for their finances, their fashion, and their pharmaceuticals, were poor before God, naked without his righteousness to cover them, and blind to their spiritual condition. But Jesus didn't just intervene to point out their condition. He also intervened to save them.
He also intervened on Calvary before God to become the solution that they and all us need.
He is the perfect substitute who took the place of every sinner in hell. He intervened by taking our apathy toward his Word on himself. He took our lackluster attitudes toward his sacrifice on himself on that cross. And so now, he is offering the Laodiceans true wealth: the gold of the gospel. He offered them the robes of his righteousness that would never go out of fashion. He offered them a salve that would give them spiritual sight and save their souls. And Jesus offers the same to us still!
Now he pleads with us, "Turn to me! Trust in the forgiveness I won for you! Listen to my Word! Listen to what the Spirit says of your sin and of my grace that he might heal your blindness with the salve of the Word, that you might see the truth clearly again! Don't lock me out! Let me in that we might dine together and share the close intimacy we once had! Let me restore your zeal for my Word and your zeal in serving me and others! Let my gospel fire you up again so you're not lukewarm any more, but hot!"
And finally, even to this lukewarm church that was close to being spit out, Jesus offered the promise of heaven with him: Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
After he overcame all sin by his sacrifice, Jesus was rewarded with his heavenly throne. And now, he rewards those who claim his victory through him. That victory is ours!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Is God Fair? Maybe Not, but He's Right...
How often have you heard about or maybe been personally involved in a situation that made you say, “That’s really unfair! This shouldn’t have happened to me or him or her.”?
When God Isn’t Fair
In a parable He shared with his disciples, Jesus seemed to suggest the very notion the Heavenly Father does not always deal with his children in a way that seem equitable. In Matthew 20, Jesus paints a picture of the Kingdom of God that looks and sounds so blatantly unjust that were it a reality today, most Christians would scream out at the injustice. The ACLU would probably get involved and sue. But, amazingly, Jesus used this as a picture of how God deals with His children.
Jesus tells the story of a farmer, who represents God. Needing to harvest a record setting crop in his vineyard, he goes into the marketplace and hires a crew of laborers. He promises them a fair day’s wage.
Later in the day, he realizes he’ll need more help. So he again goes to the marketplace and hires a few more men looking for work.
He does this several more times and hires his last crew with just an hour of harvesting remaining. But at the end of the day, the owner of the vineyard gave each worker the same pay, regardless of how long they worked.
In our world this seems extremely unfair. But, when we look at this story through the “glasses” of grace, instead of the unbending scales of justice, we begin to understand the difference between our thinking and God’s. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." (Isaiah 55:8) Jesus made the careful, firm argument that what is fair to man isn’t always right in the eyes of God.
You and I would say those who worked the hardest and longest should be paid or rewarded more. But Jesus saw it differently. Those ungrateful workers might have well been unemployed if not for the opportunity given them by the owner of the vineyard.
Is it their right to question his generosity? Weren’t they paid their promised wage? We would scream at the injustice, but we’d be wrong. This parable illustrates the major theme of Scriptures: God’s grace. Just like the workers waiting for work in the marketplace, we were all in a position of need. They were looking for a job, but we are looking for mercy.
The owner of the vineyard wasn’t concerned with how long the workers were unemployed—He only knew they needed a job. Similarly, God doesn’t see the amount of sin we carry. In His eyes, we are all sinners in need of salvation. We are all in need of grace.
The Heart of God Revealed At the Cross
Random tragedy and heartbreak seem to point to a God who is either detached from humanity or has no control over the world. However, the true heart of God is revealed at the spectacle that took place 2,000 years ago on a hill called Calvary.
First, God’s is very just. And from the Garden of Eden (where He gave Adam and Eve one simple instruction or law) to the present day (we wanted more rules so he gave us the Ten Commandments), all men have sinned and violated God’s law. This is sin. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:23). No matter how small, this sin has a penalty—death, separation from God forever (Romans 6:23 says “the wages (payment) of sin is death”).
Yet, while the cross reveals God’s justice, it also reveals His great love. God sent His son, Jesus to take the punishment for man’s sin because man couldn’t possibly redeem himself. (2 Cor 5:21). This was the greatest act of love (John 3:16).
This was the greatest agony for the heart of a holy God wasn’t watching his Son beaten to a pulp and crucified; it was in the knowledge that His perfect Son would take on all the sin of mankind from the beginning of time to the end.
These actions seem to very fair. Why should Jesus have to pay for sins he didn’t commit? The crucifixion was the greatest injustice in the history of the world. And yet, it was allowed by God for the payment of our sin.
What Do We Deserve?
So in light of the cross, what really do we deserve? Anyone who has been redeemed (saved) by God can no longer view themselves as having been treated unfairly by God. The gift salvation through His son was both a gift we never deserved and yet a terrible injustice paid for our debts. The reality is that we are not owed anything by God. Instead we owe Him a debt of love we can never repay.
Grace gives us the proper perspective on life’s seeming injustices. As hard as it is to imagine, the most tragedy-struck Christian has tasted overwhelming amounts of God’s grace. More than any of us deserve.
So if we were to be completely honest, we wouldn’t want God to be fair. If He was, then He wouldn’t have sent Jesus to pay for our sins and we would be bound for a hopeless eternity. And He wouldn’t walk beside us daily, giving us strength. He wouldn’t extend His hand of forgiveness when we fail.
Instead, we should be glad we serve a God who is right.
Because we’re not getting what we deserve. Nobody who walks this earth is. Instead, we’re getting something far greater. His grace.
So, Is God Fair?
So, when we look at some of things that have happened in our lives or in lives of others, maybe we can’t say that God has been “fair” in our sense of the word. But, if we could even come close to seeing the ‘big picture”, He has always been right. And we shouldn’t blame God for the trials that we go through but we need to praise God for walking with us through those dark valleys and giving the grace to carry on.
Sadly, many Christians in America, walk around feeling as though they’ve been cheated. They ask questions like, “Why can’t I be healthy like others?” or “Why does God allow him or her to be married?” or “Why couldn’t have I been born into a wealthy family?”
Unfortunately, the church itself has become an unwitting accomplice in this unbiblical thought process. We’ve tried to market Christianity as the better alternative, where life will be more successful. And sometimes this may be true, but we must realize that Christianity is not about benefiting and taking and getting more of what we want out of a supernatural, vending-machine God. It’s about worshipping a God who has given us far more grace than we deserve. It’s about following the example of Jesus in sacrificing for the good of others.
We should view everything we’ve got in life as a gift from God, not complain when things don’t go our way.
Because thankfully, we don’t have a God who is fair, but a Heavenly Father who is always right.
When God Isn’t Fair
In a parable He shared with his disciples, Jesus seemed to suggest the very notion the Heavenly Father does not always deal with his children in a way that seem equitable. In Matthew 20, Jesus paints a picture of the Kingdom of God that looks and sounds so blatantly unjust that were it a reality today, most Christians would scream out at the injustice. The ACLU would probably get involved and sue. But, amazingly, Jesus used this as a picture of how God deals with His children.
Jesus tells the story of a farmer, who represents God. Needing to harvest a record setting crop in his vineyard, he goes into the marketplace and hires a crew of laborers. He promises them a fair day’s wage.
Later in the day, he realizes he’ll need more help. So he again goes to the marketplace and hires a few more men looking for work.
He does this several more times and hires his last crew with just an hour of harvesting remaining. But at the end of the day, the owner of the vineyard gave each worker the same pay, regardless of how long they worked.
In our world this seems extremely unfair. But, when we look at this story through the “glasses” of grace, instead of the unbending scales of justice, we begin to understand the difference between our thinking and God’s. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." (Isaiah 55:8) Jesus made the careful, firm argument that what is fair to man isn’t always right in the eyes of God.
You and I would say those who worked the hardest and longest should be paid or rewarded more. But Jesus saw it differently. Those ungrateful workers might have well been unemployed if not for the opportunity given them by the owner of the vineyard.
Is it their right to question his generosity? Weren’t they paid their promised wage? We would scream at the injustice, but we’d be wrong. This parable illustrates the major theme of Scriptures: God’s grace. Just like the workers waiting for work in the marketplace, we were all in a position of need. They were looking for a job, but we are looking for mercy.
The owner of the vineyard wasn’t concerned with how long the workers were unemployed—He only knew they needed a job. Similarly, God doesn’t see the amount of sin we carry. In His eyes, we are all sinners in need of salvation. We are all in need of grace.
The Heart of God Revealed At the Cross
Random tragedy and heartbreak seem to point to a God who is either detached from humanity or has no control over the world. However, the true heart of God is revealed at the spectacle that took place 2,000 years ago on a hill called Calvary.
First, God’s is very just. And from the Garden of Eden (where He gave Adam and Eve one simple instruction or law) to the present day (we wanted more rules so he gave us the Ten Commandments), all men have sinned and violated God’s law. This is sin. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:23). No matter how small, this sin has a penalty—death, separation from God forever (Romans 6:23 says “the wages (payment) of sin is death”).
Yet, while the cross reveals God’s justice, it also reveals His great love. God sent His son, Jesus to take the punishment for man’s sin because man couldn’t possibly redeem himself. (2 Cor 5:21). This was the greatest act of love (John 3:16).
This was the greatest agony for the heart of a holy God wasn’t watching his Son beaten to a pulp and crucified; it was in the knowledge that His perfect Son would take on all the sin of mankind from the beginning of time to the end.
These actions seem to very fair. Why should Jesus have to pay for sins he didn’t commit? The crucifixion was the greatest injustice in the history of the world. And yet, it was allowed by God for the payment of our sin.
What Do We Deserve?
So in light of the cross, what really do we deserve? Anyone who has been redeemed (saved) by God can no longer view themselves as having been treated unfairly by God. The gift salvation through His son was both a gift we never deserved and yet a terrible injustice paid for our debts. The reality is that we are not owed anything by God. Instead we owe Him a debt of love we can never repay.
Grace gives us the proper perspective on life’s seeming injustices. As hard as it is to imagine, the most tragedy-struck Christian has tasted overwhelming amounts of God’s grace. More than any of us deserve.
So if we were to be completely honest, we wouldn’t want God to be fair. If He was, then He wouldn’t have sent Jesus to pay for our sins and we would be bound for a hopeless eternity. And He wouldn’t walk beside us daily, giving us strength. He wouldn’t extend His hand of forgiveness when we fail.
Instead, we should be glad we serve a God who is right.
Because we’re not getting what we deserve. Nobody who walks this earth is. Instead, we’re getting something far greater. His grace.
So, Is God Fair?
So, when we look at some of things that have happened in our lives or in lives of others, maybe we can’t say that God has been “fair” in our sense of the word. But, if we could even come close to seeing the ‘big picture”, He has always been right. And we shouldn’t blame God for the trials that we go through but we need to praise God for walking with us through those dark valleys and giving the grace to carry on.
Sadly, many Christians in America, walk around feeling as though they’ve been cheated. They ask questions like, “Why can’t I be healthy like others?” or “Why does God allow him or her to be married?” or “Why couldn’t have I been born into a wealthy family?”
Unfortunately, the church itself has become an unwitting accomplice in this unbiblical thought process. We’ve tried to market Christianity as the better alternative, where life will be more successful. And sometimes this may be true, but we must realize that Christianity is not about benefiting and taking and getting more of what we want out of a supernatural, vending-machine God. It’s about worshipping a God who has given us far more grace than we deserve. It’s about following the example of Jesus in sacrificing for the good of others.
We should view everything we’ve got in life as a gift from God, not complain when things don’t go our way.
Because thankfully, we don’t have a God who is fair, but a Heavenly Father who is always right.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
How to Break Free of “Religious” Rules Without Breaking Yourself
Read your Bible every day. Don't cuss. Attend worship services at church at least once each week. Don't drink alcohol. Volunteer for lots of service projects. Don't watch certain movies, etc., etc., etc.… The demands and pressures of trying to keep up with religious rules will only frustrate and burn you out - no matter how hard you try. The good news is that God doesn't require you to follow any rules; he invites you to pursue a relationship with Him. In the process, he'll empower you to live a faithful life that leads to real freedom.
Here's how you can break religious rules so you'll be free to pursue a close relationship with God:
Place your faith in God, not religion. Ask yourself honestly if your allegiance is simply to good moral habits and churchy routines, or if it's directly to God. Rather than placing your faith in believing and doing what's right and then relying on your own efforts to try to accomplish it, place your faith in God, trusting Him completely to lead you and empower you to follow where He leads you.
Realize that God doesn't think like you do. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Isaiah 55:8. Religious people are often disappointed when God doesn't act according to their assumptions about how He should and will act. Accept the fact that God may choose to act in ways that are radically different from what you expect or desire - but trust Him to do what's best, even when you don't understand why He's doing what He's doing. God's perspective is far greater than yours, and He often appears in unpredictable places.
Find the beauty in brokenness. Brokenness is our humble response to God's conviction of our sins. It also involves giving-up our personal rights and selfish interests to God. It means that we finally reach a point that we final realize that we CAN NOT fix things in our lives. Once broken, we find ourselves responding in humility and complete repentance. Sometimes religion urges you to try to fix the brokenness in your life, but God often calls you to accept the brokenness, because it's a powerful tool to draw you closer to Him. "I live in the high and holy places, but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed, And what I do is put new spirit in them,” Isaiah 57:15 MSG. Brokenness has the power to mold your character into the unique shape God intended for it. As you face the reality of your own brokenness, don't feel guilty and ashamed for not measuring up and try to hide, avoid, deny, or despise your brokenness. Instead, invite God to use your brokenness to teach you beautiful lessons that will make you a stronger person.
Look beyond your appearance. Don't waste time or energy trying to keep up the appearance of a person who has it all together, as religion urges you to do. Ask God to give you the courage to accept yourself as you are and to be yourself openly and honestly in your relationships with Him and other people. Let the knowledge that God loves you completely - just as you are - motivate you to stop pretending and simply be yourself.
Invest in relationships over rules. All of the world's religions except for Christianity urge their followers to try to climb a stairway to heaven, striving to please God through their own efforts. But Jesus showed us that God is reaching down to us with His love, and that's the only way God and people can truly connect. Recognize that, even though you're flawed, you're also forgiven. Accept Jesus' invitation to live a life of freedom by pursuing a relationship with Him rather than trying to follow religious rules.
Ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you. (We may not like what we see) When you view yourself from God's perspective, you can clearly see how to live without having religion tell you.
Focus on friendship, and then service. Remember that, while God does often call you to service, you can't earn His love by serving others, and your relationship with Him can't be measured by your usefulness or fruitfulness. What God wants most from you is a close relationship with Him. Make it your top priority to simply spending time in prayer with God regularly, enjoying His presence and seeking His guidance. Doing so is never a waste of time. Let your service simply flow out of your love for God.
Just do what you can. Religion constantly pushes you to do more, but you can't ever keep up. By contrast, God calls you to simply do the best you can with the opportunities He gives you to grow as a person and serve other people. So release yourself from the pressure of religious agendas and make yourself available to God, just doing the best you can for Him each day and trusting that He'll use your efforts to accomplish His will.
Remember what God has done. Instead of congratulating yourself for what you've accomplished remember the many specific ways that God has been at work in your life. Always keep in mind that all of your own abilities are simply gifts from God. Thank God regularly for all that He has done for you. Remember your previous failures and mistakes so you can avoid repeating them and learn from them to make better choices moving forward. Thank God for how He is helping you grow.
Throw in the towel on religion. While religion tries to shrink God down to a size that people can understand and try to control, those efforts are futile. Break away from dependence on a religious organization to connect you to God, and rely on a direct relationship with God instead - one in which any religious organization is simply a tool for you to grow closer to God. Instead of trusting in religious assumptions and traditions, let Jesus be who the Bible says He is, and discover more about Him through a direct relationship with Him. Ask God to help you care about what He cares about, and just let the rest go. Remember that God is always with you, in you, and for you.
Here's how you can break religious rules so you'll be free to pursue a close relationship with God:
Place your faith in God, not religion. Ask yourself honestly if your allegiance is simply to good moral habits and churchy routines, or if it's directly to God. Rather than placing your faith in believing and doing what's right and then relying on your own efforts to try to accomplish it, place your faith in God, trusting Him completely to lead you and empower you to follow where He leads you.
Realize that God doesn't think like you do. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Isaiah 55:8. Religious people are often disappointed when God doesn't act according to their assumptions about how He should and will act. Accept the fact that God may choose to act in ways that are radically different from what you expect or desire - but trust Him to do what's best, even when you don't understand why He's doing what He's doing. God's perspective is far greater than yours, and He often appears in unpredictable places.
Find the beauty in brokenness. Brokenness is our humble response to God's conviction of our sins. It also involves giving-up our personal rights and selfish interests to God. It means that we finally reach a point that we final realize that we CAN NOT fix things in our lives. Once broken, we find ourselves responding in humility and complete repentance. Sometimes religion urges you to try to fix the brokenness in your life, but God often calls you to accept the brokenness, because it's a powerful tool to draw you closer to Him. "I live in the high and holy places, but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed, And what I do is put new spirit in them,” Isaiah 57:15 MSG. Brokenness has the power to mold your character into the unique shape God intended for it. As you face the reality of your own brokenness, don't feel guilty and ashamed for not measuring up and try to hide, avoid, deny, or despise your brokenness. Instead, invite God to use your brokenness to teach you beautiful lessons that will make you a stronger person.
Look beyond your appearance. Don't waste time or energy trying to keep up the appearance of a person who has it all together, as religion urges you to do. Ask God to give you the courage to accept yourself as you are and to be yourself openly and honestly in your relationships with Him and other people. Let the knowledge that God loves you completely - just as you are - motivate you to stop pretending and simply be yourself.
Invest in relationships over rules. All of the world's religions except for Christianity urge their followers to try to climb a stairway to heaven, striving to please God through their own efforts. But Jesus showed us that God is reaching down to us with His love, and that's the only way God and people can truly connect. Recognize that, even though you're flawed, you're also forgiven. Accept Jesus' invitation to live a life of freedom by pursuing a relationship with Him rather than trying to follow religious rules.
Ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you. (We may not like what we see) When you view yourself from God's perspective, you can clearly see how to live without having religion tell you.
Focus on friendship, and then service. Remember that, while God does often call you to service, you can't earn His love by serving others, and your relationship with Him can't be measured by your usefulness or fruitfulness. What God wants most from you is a close relationship with Him. Make it your top priority to simply spending time in prayer with God regularly, enjoying His presence and seeking His guidance. Doing so is never a waste of time. Let your service simply flow out of your love for God.
Just do what you can. Religion constantly pushes you to do more, but you can't ever keep up. By contrast, God calls you to simply do the best you can with the opportunities He gives you to grow as a person and serve other people. So release yourself from the pressure of religious agendas and make yourself available to God, just doing the best you can for Him each day and trusting that He'll use your efforts to accomplish His will.
Remember what God has done. Instead of congratulating yourself for what you've accomplished remember the many specific ways that God has been at work in your life. Always keep in mind that all of your own abilities are simply gifts from God. Thank God regularly for all that He has done for you. Remember your previous failures and mistakes so you can avoid repeating them and learn from them to make better choices moving forward. Thank God for how He is helping you grow.
Throw in the towel on religion. While religion tries to shrink God down to a size that people can understand and try to control, those efforts are futile. Break away from dependence on a religious organization to connect you to God, and rely on a direct relationship with God instead - one in which any religious organization is simply a tool for you to grow closer to God. Instead of trusting in religious assumptions and traditions, let Jesus be who the Bible says He is, and discover more about Him through a direct relationship with Him. Ask God to help you care about what He cares about, and just let the rest go. Remember that God is always with you, in you, and for you.
Monday, July 5, 2010
How to Study the Bible
The Bible is a peculiar book. Words written long ago in different languages by, whom some would call, very peculiar people. Deeds, or you might even say miracles, done in a time so long ago that we can only read about. Events recorded in a far-off land. Advice offered to a foreign people. This is a peculiar book.
It's surprising that anyone reads it. It's too old.
Some of its writings date back five thousand years. It's too bizarre. The book speaks of incredible floods, fires, earthquakes, and people with supernatural abilities. It's too radical. The Bible calls for undying devotion to a carpenter who called himself God's Son.
Logic says this book shouldn't survive. Too old, too bizarre, too radical.
The Bible has been banned, burned, scoffed, and ridiculed. Scholars have mocked it as foolish. (Many still do!) Kings have branded it as illegal. A thousand times over it the grave has been dug and the “funeral” has begun, but somehow the Bible never stays in the grave. Not only has it survived, it has thrived. It is the single most popular book in all of history. It has been the best selling book in the world for years!
There is no way on earth to explain it. Which perhaps is the only explanation. The answer - “no way on earth”? The Bible's durability is not found on earth; it is found in heaven. For the millions who have tested its claims and claimed its promises there is but one answer - the Bible is God's book and God's voice.
As we read it, we would be wise to give some thought to two questions. What is the purpose of the Bible? and How do I study the Bible? Time spent reflecting on these two issues will greatly enhance our Bible study.
What is the purpose of the Bible? Let the Bible itself answer that question.
You have been taught the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. (2 Timothy 3:15-16).
Look how the Message states this scripture: There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
The purpose of the Bible? Salvation. God's highest passion is to get his children home. His book, the Bible, describes his plan of salvation. The purpose of the Bible is to proclaim God's plan and passion to save his children.
That is the reason this book has endured through the centuries. It dares to tackle the toughest questions about life: Where do I go after I die? Is there a God? What do I do with my fears? The Bible offers answers to these crucial questions. It is the treasure map that leads us to God's highest treasure, eternal life.
But how do we use the Bible? Countless copies of Scripture sit unread on bookshelves, coffee tables, nightstands and even on the back seat of our cars simply because people don't know how to read it. What can we do to make the Bible real in our lives?
The clearest answer is found in the words of Jesus. "Ask," he promised, "and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7).
The first step in understanding the Bible is asking God to help us. We should read prayerfully. If anyone understands God's Word it is because of God and not the reader.
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything ..........” (John 14:26).
Before reading the Bible, pray. Invite God to speak to you. Don't go to Scripture looking for your idea, go searching for his.
Not only should we read the Bible prayerfully, we should read it carefully. Seek and you will find, is the pledge. The Bible is not a newspaper to be skimmed but rather a mine to be worked. “Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:4, 5).
Any worthy find requires effort. The Bible is no exception. To understand the Bible you don't have to be brilliant, but you must be willing to roll up your sleeves and search.
Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2: 15).
Here's a practical point. Study the Bible a bit at a time. Hunger is not satisfied by eating twenty-one meals in one sitting once a week. The body needs a steady diet to remain strong. So does the soul. When God sent food to his people in the wilderness, he didn't provide loaves already made. Instead, he sent them manna in the shape of thin flakes, like frost ... on the desert ground (see Exodus 16:14). God gave manna in limited portions.
God sends spiritual food the same way. He opens the heavens with just enough nutrients for today's hunger. "A command here, a command there. A rule here, a rule there. A little lesson here, a little lesson there." (Isaiah 28:10 NCV).
Don't be discouraged if your reading reaps a small harvest. Some days a lesser portion is all that is needed. What is important is to search every day for that day's message. A steady diet of God's Word over a lifetime builds a healthy soul and mind.
It’s somewhat like the little girl who returned from her first day at school. Her mom asked, "Did you learn anything?" "Apparently not enough," the girl responded. "I have to go back tomorrow and the next day and the next ... "
Such is the case with learning. And such is the case with Bible study. Understanding comes little by little over a lifetime.
There is a third step in understanding the Bible.
After the asking and seeking comes the knocking. After you ask and search, then knock.
“Knock and the door will be opened to you”. (Matthew 7:7). To knock is to stand at God's door. To make yourself available. To climb the steps, cross the porch, stand at the doorway, and volunteer. Knocking goes beyond just thinking - it goes to act of doing – of obeying!
To knock is to ask, What can I do? How can I obey? Where can I go?
It's one thing to know what to do. It's another to do it. But for those who do it, those who choose to obey, a special reward awaits them.
But the truly happy people are those who carefully study God's perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it. They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God's teaching says. Those who do this will be made happy. (James 1:25 NCV).
What a promise. Happiness comes to those who do what they read! It's the same with medicine. If you only read the label but ignore the pills, it won't help. It's the same with food. If you only read the recipe but never cook, you won't be fed. And it's the same with the Bible. If you only read the words but never obey, you'll never know the joy God has promised. Ask. Search. Knock. Simple, isn't it? Why don't you give it a try? If you do, you'll see why the Bible is the most remarkable book in history.
(This lesson was inspired from the introduction to Max Lucado’s “The Inspirational Bible”. New Century Version)
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org
Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
It's surprising that anyone reads it. It's too old.
Some of its writings date back five thousand years. It's too bizarre. The book speaks of incredible floods, fires, earthquakes, and people with supernatural abilities. It's too radical. The Bible calls for undying devotion to a carpenter who called himself God's Son.
Logic says this book shouldn't survive. Too old, too bizarre, too radical.
The Bible has been banned, burned, scoffed, and ridiculed. Scholars have mocked it as foolish. (Many still do!) Kings have branded it as illegal. A thousand times over it the grave has been dug and the “funeral” has begun, but somehow the Bible never stays in the grave. Not only has it survived, it has thrived. It is the single most popular book in all of history. It has been the best selling book in the world for years!
There is no way on earth to explain it. Which perhaps is the only explanation. The answer - “no way on earth”? The Bible's durability is not found on earth; it is found in heaven. For the millions who have tested its claims and claimed its promises there is but one answer - the Bible is God's book and God's voice.
As we read it, we would be wise to give some thought to two questions. What is the purpose of the Bible? and How do I study the Bible? Time spent reflecting on these two issues will greatly enhance our Bible study.
What is the purpose of the Bible? Let the Bible itself answer that question.
You have been taught the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. (2 Timothy 3:15-16).
Look how the Message states this scripture: There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
The purpose of the Bible? Salvation. God's highest passion is to get his children home. His book, the Bible, describes his plan of salvation. The purpose of the Bible is to proclaim God's plan and passion to save his children.
That is the reason this book has endured through the centuries. It dares to tackle the toughest questions about life: Where do I go after I die? Is there a God? What do I do with my fears? The Bible offers answers to these crucial questions. It is the treasure map that leads us to God's highest treasure, eternal life.
But how do we use the Bible? Countless copies of Scripture sit unread on bookshelves, coffee tables, nightstands and even on the back seat of our cars simply because people don't know how to read it. What can we do to make the Bible real in our lives?
The clearest answer is found in the words of Jesus. "Ask," he promised, "and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7).
The first step in understanding the Bible is asking God to help us. We should read prayerfully. If anyone understands God's Word it is because of God and not the reader.
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything ..........” (John 14:26).
Before reading the Bible, pray. Invite God to speak to you. Don't go to Scripture looking for your idea, go searching for his.
Not only should we read the Bible prayerfully, we should read it carefully. Seek and you will find, is the pledge. The Bible is not a newspaper to be skimmed but rather a mine to be worked. “Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:4, 5).
Any worthy find requires effort. The Bible is no exception. To understand the Bible you don't have to be brilliant, but you must be willing to roll up your sleeves and search.
Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2: 15).
Here's a practical point. Study the Bible a bit at a time. Hunger is not satisfied by eating twenty-one meals in one sitting once a week. The body needs a steady diet to remain strong. So does the soul. When God sent food to his people in the wilderness, he didn't provide loaves already made. Instead, he sent them manna in the shape of thin flakes, like frost ... on the desert ground (see Exodus 16:14). God gave manna in limited portions.
God sends spiritual food the same way. He opens the heavens with just enough nutrients for today's hunger. "A command here, a command there. A rule here, a rule there. A little lesson here, a little lesson there." (Isaiah 28:10 NCV).
Don't be discouraged if your reading reaps a small harvest. Some days a lesser portion is all that is needed. What is important is to search every day for that day's message. A steady diet of God's Word over a lifetime builds a healthy soul and mind.
It’s somewhat like the little girl who returned from her first day at school. Her mom asked, "Did you learn anything?" "Apparently not enough," the girl responded. "I have to go back tomorrow and the next day and the next ... "
Such is the case with learning. And such is the case with Bible study. Understanding comes little by little over a lifetime.
There is a third step in understanding the Bible.
After the asking and seeking comes the knocking. After you ask and search, then knock.
“Knock and the door will be opened to you”. (Matthew 7:7). To knock is to stand at God's door. To make yourself available. To climb the steps, cross the porch, stand at the doorway, and volunteer. Knocking goes beyond just thinking - it goes to act of doing – of obeying!
To knock is to ask, What can I do? How can I obey? Where can I go?
It's one thing to know what to do. It's another to do it. But for those who do it, those who choose to obey, a special reward awaits them.
But the truly happy people are those who carefully study God's perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it. They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God's teaching says. Those who do this will be made happy. (James 1:25 NCV).
What a promise. Happiness comes to those who do what they read! It's the same with medicine. If you only read the label but ignore the pills, it won't help. It's the same with food. If you only read the recipe but never cook, you won't be fed. And it's the same with the Bible. If you only read the words but never obey, you'll never know the joy God has promised. Ask. Search. Knock. Simple, isn't it? Why don't you give it a try? If you do, you'll see why the Bible is the most remarkable book in history.
(This lesson was inspired from the introduction to Max Lucado’s “The Inspirational Bible”. New Century Version)
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org
Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
Monday, June 21, 2010
How to Discover Your True Identity
Today's culture constantly tells you that you have the freedom to become anyone you want to be if you just try hard enough. But no matter how much you may work to create the persona you want, you'll still end up frustrated and confused. The only way to discover who you really are is to seek a relationship with the One who made you: God. When you find your true identity in Him, you'll find that it's better than any other choice.
Here's how you can discover the person God made you to be:
Look beyond cultural images to the image of God in you. Don't settle for simply taking on a particular image that appeals to you - cool, sexy, glamorous, tough, bohemian, cosmopolitan, or something else. Realize that cultural images alone are superficial. Behind their appeal is a God-given longing to be everything God wants you to be. Recognize that the urge you feel take on a cultural certain image is really a desire to grow. You already have within you the best image of all, since God created you in His image. Focus on discovering more about what God's image looks like in you, and how you can express it more in your life.
Move beyond appearances to truth. Even though the culture tells you that it's enough to simply appear good, God calls you to actually be good. Going to church on a weekend and then going home and living an unfaithful life for the rest of the week isn't okay. Following God's guidance in some ways (such as giving to charity and being a good friend to others) but not in other ways (such as lying and gossiping) isn't enough. Invite God to take control of every area of your life - from your work to your romantic relationships - and to transform you from the inside out. Then you'll have the power to live with integrity and grow into a truly good person - not just someone who tries hard to act the part.
Break free of feelings. When you don't know who you really are, you become a slave to your feelings, constantly reacting to them and becoming confused when they change. Turning to God - rather than your feelings - for your sense of identity will give you a solid foundation that remains the same no matter how changing circumstances affect your feelings. When you trust God, you'll experience lasting peace that will guard your heart and mind in any situation.
Stop seeing church as a movie. Don't just consume your church's worship service like you would a movie, enjoying the emotional experience of it and then just moving on. Instead, invite God to encounter you in church and change your life as a result of that encounter. Open yourself up to all the possibilities of how God may choose to change you as you worship Him in church. Listen for God speaking to you, and act when He leads you.
View holiness accurately. Realize that holiness isn't about trying to achieve perfection, which is futile no matter how hard you may try. Holiness is about wholeness - growing into a relationship with God that allows you to be at peace with Him, yourself, and other people. Thanks to Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross, that relationship is possible right now, with all of your imperfections. If you trust Jesus, He will help constantly transform you, empowering you to grow more into the person God intends you to become. So let the fact that you can count on God to help you become more holy give you the confidence you need to pursue holiness. Unlike the culture's message that holiness is beyond your grasp, the reality is that you can become more holy every day. Keep in mind that each step away from holiness will cause you to lose more of your sense of self, but each step toward holiness will bring you closer to becoming who you really are - the person God meant you to be.
Recognize that you become like whatever you worship. When you derive your sense of self from a cultural image communicated through the media, you're essentially worshipping it, and that image will come to control you - turning you into a poor imitation of who you were meant to be. But when you worship Jesus, you will grow more and more like Him, freeing you to discover the wonderful person God made you to become.
Deal wisely with your desires. Regularly confess the ways in which you let your desires pull you into sin that makes you walk away from your true self. Humbly ask God to help you avoid desires that don't reflect His will for you and strengthen your desires for what He wants for your life. When considering a particular desire, ask yourself: "Is this desire moving me toward greater commitment to Jesus or farther away from Him?" Test the worthiness of your desires by examining whether or not they reflect a respect of God's image in yourself and others. Test the fruitfulness of your desires by considering whether or not they will help you make the world a better place and bring glory to God in the process.
Keep growing. Even though you can't completely become the person God wants you to become until you're raised in glory with Jesus in His new creation, you can continue to grow each day you're alive. Rejoice when you notice how Jesus is helping you mature, and let your gratitude motivate you to keep learning and growing more each day.
Here's how you can discover the person God made you to be:
Look beyond cultural images to the image of God in you. Don't settle for simply taking on a particular image that appeals to you - cool, sexy, glamorous, tough, bohemian, cosmopolitan, or something else. Realize that cultural images alone are superficial. Behind their appeal is a God-given longing to be everything God wants you to be. Recognize that the urge you feel take on a cultural certain image is really a desire to grow. You already have within you the best image of all, since God created you in His image. Focus on discovering more about what God's image looks like in you, and how you can express it more in your life.
Move beyond appearances to truth. Even though the culture tells you that it's enough to simply appear good, God calls you to actually be good. Going to church on a weekend and then going home and living an unfaithful life for the rest of the week isn't okay. Following God's guidance in some ways (such as giving to charity and being a good friend to others) but not in other ways (such as lying and gossiping) isn't enough. Invite God to take control of every area of your life - from your work to your romantic relationships - and to transform you from the inside out. Then you'll have the power to live with integrity and grow into a truly good person - not just someone who tries hard to act the part.
Break free of feelings. When you don't know who you really are, you become a slave to your feelings, constantly reacting to them and becoming confused when they change. Turning to God - rather than your feelings - for your sense of identity will give you a solid foundation that remains the same no matter how changing circumstances affect your feelings. When you trust God, you'll experience lasting peace that will guard your heart and mind in any situation.
Stop seeing church as a movie. Don't just consume your church's worship service like you would a movie, enjoying the emotional experience of it and then just moving on. Instead, invite God to encounter you in church and change your life as a result of that encounter. Open yourself up to all the possibilities of how God may choose to change you as you worship Him in church. Listen for God speaking to you, and act when He leads you.
View holiness accurately. Realize that holiness isn't about trying to achieve perfection, which is futile no matter how hard you may try. Holiness is about wholeness - growing into a relationship with God that allows you to be at peace with Him, yourself, and other people. Thanks to Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross, that relationship is possible right now, with all of your imperfections. If you trust Jesus, He will help constantly transform you, empowering you to grow more into the person God intends you to become. So let the fact that you can count on God to help you become more holy give you the confidence you need to pursue holiness. Unlike the culture's message that holiness is beyond your grasp, the reality is that you can become more holy every day. Keep in mind that each step away from holiness will cause you to lose more of your sense of self, but each step toward holiness will bring you closer to becoming who you really are - the person God meant you to be.
Recognize that you become like whatever you worship. When you derive your sense of self from a cultural image communicated through the media, you're essentially worshipping it, and that image will come to control you - turning you into a poor imitation of who you were meant to be. But when you worship Jesus, you will grow more and more like Him, freeing you to discover the wonderful person God made you to become.
Deal wisely with your desires. Regularly confess the ways in which you let your desires pull you into sin that makes you walk away from your true self. Humbly ask God to help you avoid desires that don't reflect His will for you and strengthen your desires for what He wants for your life. When considering a particular desire, ask yourself: "Is this desire moving me toward greater commitment to Jesus or farther away from Him?" Test the worthiness of your desires by examining whether or not they reflect a respect of God's image in yourself and others. Test the fruitfulness of your desires by considering whether or not they will help you make the world a better place and bring glory to God in the process.
Keep growing. Even though you can't completely become the person God wants you to become until you're raised in glory with Jesus in His new creation, you can continue to grow each day you're alive. Rejoice when you notice how Jesus is helping you mature, and let your gratitude motivate you to keep learning and growing more each day.
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